Communication networks have a range of bandwidths. A low bandwidth network generally provides slower transfer of the same amount of digital information as compared to a high bandwidth network. The comparatively slow transfer rate of low bandwidth networks may create difficulties when transferring large amounts of digital information.
One type of digital information increasingly transferred over networks is multimedia digital information. Multimedia digital information, e.g. audio, video, etc., generally favors high bandwidth networks for its transmission, as multimedia digital information files are generally large. Transferring those large multimedia files over low bandwidth networks may be impractical. Additionally, since communication networks are subject to dropouts and other errors, transferring multimedia files over a slower connection, that is, when there is a greater time for errors to occur during the transfer, may be impossible.
Low bandwidth networks, however, are often more convenient than high bandwidth networks. Thus, the user may use the low bandwidth networks more, and be more familiar with those networks, thus leading to difficulties for the multimedia digital information provider. On the one hand, the potential audience for the multimedia provider's content may be greater in the low bandwidth network space, yet on the other hand, the provider may simply be unable to reach that audience with the content because of the difficulties in transmitting multimedia content over a low bandwidth network.
One type of digital information increasingly transferred over networks is multimedia digital information. Multimedia digital information, e.g. audio, video, etc., generally favors high bandwidth networks for its transmission, as multimedia digital information files are generally large. Transferring those large multimedia files over low bandwidth networks may be impractical. Additionally, since communication networks are subject to dropouts and other errors, transferring multimedia files over a slower connection, that is, when there is a greater time for errors to occur during the transfer, may be impossible.
Accordingly, there exists a need for apparatus and methods for transferring digital information to users so that network status, user status and server status are taken into account.